Sleepless Nights, Early Morning Traffic

I would hazard a guess at the fact I suffer sometimes from insomnia. It’s a relatively recent part of my live, slowly invading my sleepy time over the past four or five years. Initially it was stress related I imagine, as I sometimes stress about stuff, sometimes I have reason to. Who doesn't?

If I was younger trying to make my mark on the world I’d wear that fact like a badge of pride, for it occurs to me that many an aspiring young, (usually) professional, feels that stress is an important indicator of their place in the world. I won’t complain about that, as the more the merrier my doctor says. Or would if I went to doctors - which I try very hard not to do. Sure if my arm was about to fall off they’d be high on my priority list but for some strange and fabulous reason I am relatively healthy and thus haven’t seen the need for at least ten years. Long may that personal record remain intact.

Now insomnia isn’t all bad. In fact if its not stress induced and one has the temperament to be able to happily amuse oneself, the small wee hours of night / early morning can be a wonderful time to entertain oneself. Which is I must say a strength of mine. Be it; news on TV, a book, the interweb, a computer game, music or more like a happy combination of the lot, I have more than enough to keep me amused for hours. This is fortunate as I have the opportunity to test that temperament quite a bit of late.

I also like sitting gazing out the window, listening to the traffic, wondering about the lives of those who pass by, especially in the small hours – are they going home, off to work…. With the addition of a hot coffee and cigarette, this is a wonderful time of day to just think, reflect and smile to oneself about the events that make up ones life.

Now many of my memories come with soundtracks, you know the music I was into a the point of time that the memory applies to, usually a hodge podge of sounds floating around my head. Sometimes sparking a frantic search for the offending song which in turn can lead to all sorts of musical misadventures. Coupled with the internet I sometimes listen to a online mix from either a DJ of note or increasingly from someone I’ve never heard of – usually just fans of a certain genre rather than professionals. This morning I listened to an old skool mix of tracks back in the early 80’s from some German chap whilst reading UK dance forums and catching up on some current affairs reading.

At the moment I’m caught up in global warming, the New Orleans storm and current impending hurricane in the Gulf Of Mexico and other large storms found around Japan, China and most of Asia. On other fronts I continue to follow the Iraqi situation coupled with the oil industry and bleak forecasts of future resources wars, which seem to be looming closer and closer – or is that just cause I read to much leftie nonsense… Not exactly positive stuff for someone with an over active imagination. Interesting none the less for one sitting in the relative security of a city built on approx 50 volcanoes…

These diversions are useful right now as I just can’t stomach the human interest stories about the new MP’s in parliament currently running. It really does come across like its their first day of school, a apt analogy I feel, sad as that maybe. Not a bad lot that of the politician. Not much job security for some maybe, but still better than working in a call centre I dare say. The sound bite of my morning must be from some new National MP on being asked if he enjoyed the ‘free lunches’ said they were a fiction. On being queried about the free lunch they had enjoyed only the day previously he commented that yes it was a complimentary lunch, not free at all…. pfffffffffffffft…. worse the idiot from Tauranga (old Mr Testicles himself) asked about his lunch he gushed about how good it was, when asked what he had eaten he replied “I wouldn’t have a clue” or something very close to that, this was as he exited the dinning room – I guess we can’t expect much but more verbal bumbling from him over the next three years. Obviously the whips and various consultants used to school MPs on how to behave and treat the media have a long road ahead of them… I wonder if they get a free lunch and how one lands one of these consultant roles?

I await the call up, I have a marker pen already and a four word speech.

“Shut the f__k up!”

At my current speakers engagement rate that’s $750 a word, plus travel expenses and lunch of course. If requested I can extend the seminar to prefix my speech with the word “Just” and if wanting to convey a sense of politeness to proceedings a “please” can be added to the end. Needless to say I’m sitting by the phone ready to hop on the first plane to Wellington.

I wonder if I should also prepare an info pack to hand out. Maybe get them leather bound.

Life in the wee small hours, it really is this exciting, now I must get up and start my day.